Pom in France (how do you like dem apples??)

[Jonzjob]

This morning we stopped at a roundabout on the way home from Carcassonne market and bought 7 bottles of wine from a producer that's all of 2Km from us. One of the wines was entered for a concorse along with 270 or so other French wines and came first. It cost 7.50€. The other 6, 2 rosé and 4 red, single grape variety were 4€ for the rosé and 4.50€ for the reds. All VERY good wines too!

Very good French wines don't have to be very expensive ones just as very expensive ones aren't always very good. Just very fashionable..

I've also had some very nice Oz champagne, sorry not allowed to call it that anymore are we, as well. The real (?) champoo is only a copy of Blanquette de Limoux which has been produced about 25Km south of us for over a hundred years longer than the stuff they sell up north. About 1/3 or less in price for far better quality..

I am trying to sample as many of the wines around here, but as we live in the biggest vinyard in the world, the Languadoc, it's a demanding job, but I am trying very hard

[JJF]

albi

[JJF]

carcassonne

[Jonzjob]

Both by the river too JJF. 2 lovely photos.

That one of Carcassonne is the view you get of landing at Carcassonne, Salvasa when the N/W Tramontane wind is blowing. So if you are coming here then check on the local wind direction and if it's a N/W wind, sit on the Port side and look out of the window as the aircraft as you do the final turn, quite low, and you will see the Cité. It's worth it!

This is what you see. I took this on one of our pre move visits



That outer wall is just over 2 Km long. 52 towers with it all! Don't you just love Ryanair!!

[mattocks]

Very good French wines don't have to be very expensive ones just as very expensive ones aren't always very good. Just very fashionable..

Very good point Jonzjob and I was hoping it would be made by someone. I have found it a good way to get good wine, find the makers that aren't as well known, or fashionable as you say, and check their wines out. Some very good wines can be had this way.

The area where you live around Carcassone is a great location. I have managed to get there three times from Oz and it certainly is as beautiful as you say. I even managed to stay inside the Cite on one occasion. Very special.

Cheers again

Frank

[Jonzjob]

If you manage to get across this way yet again Frank then give me a yell and we may be able to meet up for a glass of red/white/rosé, or all 3

You must know the Canal du Midi? Well, you wouldn't like it so much at the moment. A few years back, the story goes, a couple of tree surgeons working on some fungal deseased trees up north came down here to do some work on the canals trees. The mongrels didn't disenfect their kit properly and the canal trees were infected. The infection was spread by holiday boaters tying up to and damaging the roots and trunks of the trees and they too were infected.

Now there are 40,000 platan (plane) trees that have to be felled and the wood burned to kill that infection! 40,000 trees because a couple of clowns were lazy! The theory is the fungus was bought into France from the US in some ammo boxes in WW2...

At the moment there are stretches of the canal that are looking very sorry for themselves, but they are replanting with resistant trees.

[cadas]

Dont get me started on wine.

I adore French wine. But then I drank more of that than water to be fair.

But I can't get on with Australian reds at all. Just about cope with a Shiraz.

They are just too strong and heavy. Now in France you have to be able to drink a bottle at elevenses, no way can you do a 15% syrupy cab sav.

No mornings are for light burgundy, lunch maybe a nice cheap vin de table, saving yourself for some claret in the way home before you open a real bottle with dinner.

At work our resident wine freak bought two cases of cote de Rhone for a works lunch...I took the second case home as the Aussies hated it...))))

[Jonzjob]

Cote de Rhone? No! Too far east to be any good

OK to wash grub down with tough

[mattocks]

Half planning a trip across in the new year jonzjob, possibly 2 weeks in new york and 2 weeks down your way maybe bordeaux / biarritz.
A glass or two sounds nice, will definitely keep it in mind.
The problems with the canal du midi sound bad, I haven't travelled on it but seen it in a few places and on telly. What a great thing and a great shame to hear the bad news about it.

Hi Cadas, there are plenty of great australian reds that aren't syrupy and 15% and some terrific rhone style reds around as well. And plenty of great white wines here as well. But ultimately you like what you like and after all we drink it for enjoyment.

Cheers

Frank

[cadas]

I'd love to hear some recommendations for French style reds here.

Been here a year now and have gone from really enjoying wine (in France and Spain) to take it or leave it here.

[mattocks]

Hi Cadas, not to hijack this thread to far I have sent a pm to you with some ideas on wine

Cheers Frank

[Jonzjob]

Good grief Frank, not advising importing French wine are you?? You'll be importing Marmite from England next

[mattocks]

Hi jonzjob did I send that pm to you?
Do I need to resend it to cadas?

We could argue the merits of marmite v vegemite for far to long i suspect. I'm not a fan of either although i do eat vegemite occasionally

There's already plenty of french wine in australia, i don't have to import any.
I'm a big fan of aussie wine but am quite partial to a bottle or two of champagne

cheers

frank

[gus3049]

Good grief Frank, not advising importing French wine are you?? You'll be importing Marmite from England next

And why not?? Have you tried Vegemite??

I have just had some Marmite XO brought out from the UK Haven't tried it yet, thought I might lay it down for a few years and then sell it for vast profit.

Seems as sensible as doing it for wine. No bottle that enters my house survives more than a week or two - its for drinking init?

[Jonzjob]

No PM so far mate? Last one was 3 weaks ago.

The last time I tried Vegimite was in 1988, Bulungarook, Victoria at my sisters place. Quite good, but not the same as the proper stuff

I had a jar of Pedigree Marmite given to me a year or so back by a friend coming over. Good stuff it were too!!